Buddy Wood: Pawnee, Indiana, home to the Sweetums Candy Corporation, 19 toxic-waste repositories, and not much else. This sleepy mini-Metropolis is the site of a fascinating city council race. Joining us today is one of the candidates, Leslie Knope. Leslie, welcome... to Good Morning.
Leslie Knope: It's my pleasure. Thank you for being on my show.
Buddy Wood: Leslie, we're here at the Pawnee municipal airport, which I must add is... rather decrepit.
Leslie Knope: Well, I'm glad you mentioned it. It is in desperate need of refurbishments. And that is why I'm going to make it a centerpiece of my platform.
Buddy Wood: Okay.
Leslie Knope: Take, uh... Joe Appledemas over there. Joe, say hi.
Joe: Hello.
Leslie Knope: Joe has been working here since 1996, and his salary has not been raised a nickel. I am gonna work very hard to change--
Buddy Wood: Okay, this airport seems to me like a metaphor. Are you familiar with the term? Pawnee's airport is symbolic of the town: out of touch, out of date, perhaps, lost, insignificant, and sad. Your thoughts?
Leslie Knope: Well, granted, we don't have big-city amenities, but I think we more than make up for it with friendly faces and hand-working hards-- hardworking hands.
Buddy Wood: If you say so. I say it's sad. Moving on...